Datsyuk moves up the Hart contenders' ranks, and now Chara, not Weber, stands in Lidstrom's Norris path

ESPN's Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun were asked to weigh in on their Hart Trophy candidates at the "halfway mark," and Burnside places Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk fourth on his list...

January 28, ESPN: 4. Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings: Every time you watch Datsyuk, he seems to do something magical with the puck or throws a check at a guy who outweighs him by 40 pounds. He's a machine and, with all due respect to Henrik Zetterberg, has become the straw that stirs the Red Wings' Stanley Cup drink.

While LeBrun places Datsyuk third on his list:

3. Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings: Here's a guy who often gets overlooked -- on his own team. Henrik Zetterberg was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner last spring, and Nicklas Lidstrom is a six-time Norris Trophy winner. But this season, Datsyuk has fueled the Wings' surge after a slight bit of Cup hangover early on. He's among the leaders in points, but that only tells half the story. His defensive play continues to be the best among NHL forwards, which is also why he'll likely defend his Selke Trophy.

Datsyuk also earned the "two out of three Helens agree"...Oh, wait, that's thirty...Anyway, the "two of three columnists agree" nod for the Selke Trophy (as hinted at by LeBrun):

SELKE TROPHY

Burnside: Samuel Pahlsson, Anaheim. No one spends more time on the ice killing penalties in the NHL than Pahlsson, who remains one of the top shutdown forwards in the game and ranks fourth in faceoff wins. Others to consider: Pavel Datsyuk and Mike Richards.

LeBrun: Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings. Next time you watch a Detroit game, try to notice how many times Datsyuk comes back in his own zone to break up a play or steal the puck. It's uncanny how often he does it in a game.

EJ Hradek: Pavel Datsyuk, Red Wings. If this guy isn't the most underrated superstar in the league, I don't know who is. Datsyuk works equally hard in all three zones and can also be trusted with a key draw. Runner-up: Henrik Zetterberg.

As I've suggested since last summer, the NHL's journalists seem to think that five consecutive Norris Trophies is far too boring for their sakes, so Nicklas Lidstrom's chances of defending his status as "Norris Nick" are an even bet at best. None of ESPN's three talking heads picked Lidstrom as their Norris-winner, though there is "half" a season to go:

NORRIS TROPHY

Burnside: Zdeno Chara, Bruins. The big man is one of the main reasons the Bruins are at the top of the East. Tough with good offensive skills, Chara can shut down the best opponents throw at him. Others to consider: Dan Boyle, Shea Weber, Andrei Markov, Brian Rafalski and Mike Green.

LeBrun: Zdeno Chara, Bruins. Let's put it this way: If the NHL held a leaguewide dispersal draft at midseason for all 30 teams, which defenseman do you think would go first? Yes, we thought so. Honorable mentions to Boyle; Weber; and Mr. Norris himself, Nicklas Lidstrom.

Hradek: Zdeno Chara, Bruins. There will be others with more points or a better plus-minus rating, but this guy changes the game for the Bruins and their opponents. Runner-up: Lidstrom. Other candidates include Boyle, Green and Weber